Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was joined by United State Surgeon General Jerome Adams, right, earlier this week for a press conference about the coronavirus.(Photo: Greg Hilburn/USA Today Network)

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday the state is launching a website to help businesses navigate the reopening process as coronavirus cases and deaths are trending down.

The website, opensafely.la.gov, allows businesses to register and get updates about the state's phased approach to reopening. The website also provides phase-by-phase guidance for different types of businesses and allows consumers to file complaints if businesses are not following requirements.

"I know that many businesses have been eager to know what their requirements will be going forward," Edwards said. "It will allow businesses to get the exact social distancing and sanitation guidelines that they need for each phase of our reopening, and it will get that information before we get to that face so they can do what is necessary to prepare."

As part of the Open Safely program, the state will be doing compliance checks at businesses as the phased reopening begins.

Edwards announced last week he was extending the stay-at-home order through May 15 as some areas, such as Ouachita Parish, some pockets of Acadiana and Baton Rouge, continued experiencing increased activity. At the time, Edwards said he did not want to do a region-by-region opening until testing capacity in hotspots had ramped up.

The governor said Monday if parts of the state were still falling short of federal reopening guidelines, he would reconsider doing a regional reopening in areas that are meeting phase one criteria.

"One of the reasons we may have more flexibility in mid-May that we didn't have before is the testing that we have," Edwards said. "We have a testing plan that we have fully coordinated with the federal government, and they have committed to resourcing the vast majority of testing kits needed to get us to 200,000 per month."

Edwards did loosen some restrictions last week when he extended the stay-at-home order, allowing restaurants to open up outdoor seating areas and allowing churches to hold outdoor services.

Members of the Rotary Club of Alexandria listen to State Fire Marshal Butch Browning on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.(Photo: Melissa Gregory/The Town Talk)

The state fire marshal, Butch Browning, Jr., said his office did receive some complaints about restaurants not following the restrictions, but he said they did not find any to be out of compliance.

"We don't have a record of any restaurants that are violating," he said.

The governor's announcement and the loosening of restrictions came as the state has seen cases and deaths trend downward. On Monday, the state recorded 333 new cases and 22 deaths. The state has 29,700 cases and nearly 2,000 deaths.

Edwards said the state is estimating that more than 20,300 of the previously reported COVID-19 cases are presumed to be recovered. He said the state is now ranked seventh in cases per capita.

"Overall, the numbers are encouraging," Edwards said. "The last three days, the deaths have been the lowest in more than a month. It's still a high number and we grieve every loss and those three days combined, I think 64 individuals have died. But if you go back to the daily reports, you get into to March before you see a number that's lower than what we've been reporting over the last three days."

Monday's press conference was the first in weeks that took place at the Louisiana State Capitol, as the state Legislature resumed session. Edwards said the Legislature was definitely considered essential and he said the body was working to help move the state forward during the crisis.

"They're doing what they can to work safely to pass the bills that are essential to keeping our state operating," he said. "That is important."